Senior mechanical engineering student Lynn Doepping and advisor Mark Calhoun will present their Spring 2024 senior design project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Tuesday, July 30.
Students Ian Patterson, Nick Barazna and Lynn Doepping worked with their advisor Mark Calhoun on the Space Capsule Simulation project as their senior design capstone project this past spring. Working on just a portion of a larger, long-term space capsule simulation build, the team recreated a portion of the original control panel from the 1962 Mercury Space Capsule, the first United States crewed orbital flight. The team focused on engineering the handles and telelights on the far-left portion of the control panel, used to control the capsule and indicate which systems are ready to activate.
The goal is STEM outreach to encourage interest in aerospace engineering by recreating an interactive 1962 Mercury Space Capsule with the same layout and functionality, but with updated technology. Since the control panel will be used by the public as an interactive demonstration, the team had to design their products to withstand repeated use.
They created a mechanism that allows the handles to be pulled and pushed at a set distance and lock into place. Additionally, the telelights easily snap into place, with minimal casing movement. The team designed a small tool that allows for easy maintenance and repair of the telelights.
Their engineering feat caught the attention of a College of Engineering alum, and current NASA employee, Bhautik B Amin, when he attended the college’s poster day with all senior design projects on display to the public.
Amin didn’t have to go far to discover a project that piqued his interest. After hearing Patterson, Barazna and Doepping’s explanation of their rebuild, he thought it would be the perfect project to bring to the Goddard campus.
After working with a NASA coordinator, Doepping and Calhoun organized a presentation of the long-term space capsule simulation project. The College of Engineering team’s presentation will be attended by NASA interns and the Goddard Campus staff, with open virtual invitations to all NASA employees.
The presentation will be on Tuesday July 30 at 12pm. Full presentation information is below.
Mercury Capsule Restoration Project: Past to Present…History to Reality - Look how far we’ve come, Imagine how far we will go!
Showcasing early NASA human spaceflight technology as a tool to ignite student excitement and enthusiasm in STEM related careers. Get up close and personal with an original (1962) Project Mercury instrument panel mock-up. See the student project to create an interactive flight simulator using today’s technology while preserving the look and feel of the Friendship 7 spaceflight – a Capstone event in history.
Be informed of a platform for students to research, design, test and prototype aviation and aerospace related components and systems while Learning, Engaging, Achieving, Discovering and Developing in a team environment. A show and tell with a Q&A will follow.
Time: 12:00-2:00PM (EST)
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